Machine for cleaning ballast between railway tracks



Feb. 11, 1930. J. B. MCWILLIAMS I MACHINE FOR CLEANING BALLAST BETWEENRAILWAY TRACKS Filed March .24. 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 11, 1930. J.B. M WILLIAMS 1,747,154

MACHINE FOR CLEANING BALLAST BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS Filed March 24. 1925 Sheets-Sheet 2 I v Snow rte; M962 5%: haw

Feb. 11, 1930. J. B. MCWILLIAMS 1,747,154

MACHINE FOR CLEANING BALLAST BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS Filed March 24. 19256 Sheets-Sheet l G.- 5 r gmnmu 6 447 M z/a Feb. 11, 1930. McWlLLIAMSMACHINE FOR CLEANING BALLAST-BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS Filed March 24, 19256 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 11, 1930. J. B] Mcwmums 1,747,154

MACHINE FOR CLEANING BALLAST BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS Filed March 24. 19256 Sheets-Sheet 71 w f *QW,

Eltboxnu Feb. 11, 1930. cw s 1,747,154

MACHINE FOR CLEANING BALLAST BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS Filed March 24, 19256 Sheets Sheei'. 6

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wwxi'h mw Mai/ Ma Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES .J'AMES B.MCWILLIAMS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW-- HALLCOMPANY, 01' CLEVELAND, OHilO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO MACHINE FOB;CLEANING BALLAST BETWEEN RAILWAY TRACKS Application filed March 24,1925r-'-Seria No. 17,950.

The general object of this invention is to provide an efficient powermechanism adapted for mounting and propulsion in the space between apair of parallel railroad tracks, with out interference with theoperation of trains on such tracks, and operating to excavate theballast, screen it and deposit it between the tracks at the rear of themachine, andconvey removed dirt to a carrier convenient for disposal.

One of the particular objects of theinven tion is to provide such amachine which may excavate over a region wider than the body of themachine and thus be adapted to remove the entire ballast between theends of ties or even beneath portions of such ties.

Another object of the inventi is to pro vide for the effective operationf the machine between tracks of different elevation line 33 on Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a front elevation 7 due to superelevation for curvature ofdifference in level for drainage orother purose.

p My machine is adapted for mounting on a pair of temporary tracksplaced on the projecting ends of ties of the two railroad tracks, and itis a further object of the invention to provide for efiicient tractiondrive of the machine along such tracks and the equalizing of its weightupon its tracks. Other features of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown inthe drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan of my. machine in place between a pairof railroad tracks; 2 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal central section of the machine, as indicated bythe of the machine in position between a pair of tracks on the samelevel; Fig. 5 is asimilar View illustrating the machine between tracksone higher than the other; Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on alarger scale than the preceding view through the rear supporting wheelsof the machine, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 6-6on Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section through the frontsupporting wheels as indicated by the line 7-? on Fig. 1; Figs. 8 and 9are details in horizontal section illustrating the versection throughsuchexcavating head; Fig. e

13 is a cross-section through the same indicated by the line 1313 onFig. 12; Fig. 14 1s a diagrammatic elevation of the chain drive for thevarious shafts.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 11, A and 5 B indicate ties of a pairofparallel railroad tracks, one rail of each track being illustrated ata and b. In Fig. 5, C illustrates bodies and 0 the wheels of cars on thetwo railroad tracks. My machine is adapted for mounting m w in the spacebetween the adjacent ends of the ties A and B and is low enough to clearall overhanging railway equipment, as illustrated in Fig. 5. I Y

The excavating machine temporary tracks laid parallel with the railroadrails on the ties near their extreme ends. Such tracks are illustrated2, 4,5 and 11 and have suitable guiding flanges to position the machine.As shown,

these tracks are channel-shaped members, though other shapes maybe used,if desired. A few lengths of such tracks are laid on the ties along'theregion to be eircavated and, as

the machine travels, sections of such tracks 5 released at the rear arereplaced at the front.-

,The machine is preferably electrically operated and electricallypropelled by a motor on the machine the railroad tracks froma suitablesource of supply. Thus the machine in nowise interferes with the passageof trains along the railroad tracks. The machine propels itself andoperates automatically to remove the bal- 95 last at the front, elevateit, carry it rearward over the machine, screen it and deposit the cleanballast'at the rear in the space between the tracks.

I will now describe the details of the ma- 10c is mounted on at at D inFigs. 1,

supplied through a cable wh ch may extend'beneath the rails of one ofchine itself, as shown in the drawings. The machine frame comprises fourlongitudinal side beams 10 and 11, and suitable crossbeams 12, 13, 14,15, 16 and others not shown. The width of the frame is nearly as greatas the available space between the ends of ties.

It has a narrow top portion provided by longitudinal members 17 andinclinedbraces 18 and various braces not shown..

The frame described is supported by a pair of front wheels 20, and apair of rear wheels 21, all adapted to track on the temporary tracks D,which are positioned on the ties by means of a template or gauge tomaintain fixed distancesfrom the running rails. The wheels supportingthe machine are the means for guiding it and for keeping it centrallylocated between the tracks as well as for propelling it.

In order that the wheels may be adjusted vertically to 'keep themachinevertical, notwithstanding that the ties on opposite sides lie indifferent horizontal planes, I carry each wheel upon stub shafts 22 and23 which are mounted in vertical plate-like brackets 24 and 25vertically adjustable at the sides of the machine. The machine isadjustable laterally for various track center distances by changing thelength of the stub shafts carrying the wheels.

To vertically adjust the wheel-carrying brackets conveniently, I preferto provide a screw and nut couple for each bracket, which constructionwill now be described. As the front wheels 20 are driven to propel themachine, these wheels are keyed on the shafts 22 which are rotatablymounted on the brackets 24. The rear Wheels 21 are shown as looselymounted on shafts 23 stationarily carried by the brackets 25. Rotatablymounted in a space on the inner face of each of the frame brackets 24and 25 is a vertical screw 30 which engages a nut 31 formed on orcarried by the outer face of the frame member 16 at the front, or on theouter face of a transverse yoke (hereinafter described) at the rear. Theupper end of the screw is made angular .for the application of a socketwrench, whereby the screw may be turned to raise or lower the bracketrelative to the frame. The bracket is suitably guided with reference tothe frame by a gib portion 26 on the inner face of the bracket occupyinga corresponding recess in the cooperating member, while suitable bolts28 extending thr ugh slots 29 in the bracket into the member 16 or 164hold I the brackets in place.

The vertical adjustment provided may be readily made by rotating thesescrews while end with a suitable excavating head which is designedto'excavate the material for the entire distance between the ends ofties, or may .operate beneath the ties if desired, and behind thisexcavating head is an elevator of the endless-chain scraper type, whichcarries the excavated ballast to the rear to screen it, as hereinafterexplained. Two forms of excavating heads are illustrated in thedrawings, either of which may be employed as desired. I will firstdescribe the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive and Fig. 10.

At the forward end of the machine is a shield plate 40 coming to a sharplower edge, as shown at 41 Fig. 3, and inclining upwardly and rearwardlyalong the front of the machine, the shield having two rearwardextensions 44 separated by a space which is occupied by the conveyor 80hereinafter described. Mounted on the shield parallel with the surfaceis a pair of discs 50 each of whichis axially connected with a bevelgear 51 (Fig. 10) beneath the plate. Each of these bevel gears mesheswith a pinion 52 on a transverse drive shaft 53. Carried by each disc 50and extending upwardly is a crank pin 55 on which is mounted adiggingarm 56 having a curved rearward extension 57 sliding through a rotatablymounted stirrup 58 carried by the extension portion of the shield at therear of the disc.

It results from the construction just described that as the shaft 53 isrotated the discs 50 are rotated and this gives' to the gathering arms56 an orbital movement which causes them to swin inwardly and rearwardlyin one curved path and then to return along another curved path of lesscurvature. Thus, I

the arms are adapted to penetrate a pile of material and move inwardlywithin the same and rearwardly, gathering it onto the conveyor and thenreturn while clearing the material in front. The movement may be variedby changing the position of the stirrup 58, or the length of the armsmay be increased for a wider cut.

It will be seen that as these gathering arms having the orbital movementdescribed, move forwardly while extending diagonally and outwardly topenetrate material for the full width of the space between the ties, andeven beneath the ties, and then swing inwardly in that material andgather it onto the shield and conveyor.

In place of the orbitally acting arms just described, I ma use thegathering mechanism illustrated in igs. 11, 12 and 13. As there shown, Iemploy an inclined shield or fixed plate of annular form 60 havingarcuate walls 61 about its rear portion, while at the central region ofthis shield is a rotatable disc 62 carrying curved arms 63 overhangingthe annular shield. The disc is shown as mounted on a stationary stud 65carried by a frame member 66 which may be carried by lon i tudinalmembers 67 supporting the shie d. Surrounding this stud 65 beneath thedisc and.

It will be seen from the descriptions given of the alternative forms ofexcavating heads,

that such heads may vary in construction within wide limits. The headhowever, should be continuously operated and gather in the material fromthe front for the full desired distance and dischar e it onto theconveyor, which carries it to t e rear where along the inclined front ofthe machine thence rearwardly in a horizontal plane is preferably of theendless chain scraper type. This conv'eyor comprises a series oftransverse bars or flights 81 mounted at their ends on endless chains 82and dragging over a stationary pan support 83. The chains 82, as shownin Fig. 14, loop around bottom-most sprockets 90, thence pass oversprockets 91 at the top of the incline, thence over sprockets 92 at therear of the horizontal portion and thence over idler sprockets 93 and 94to the sprockets 90.

I apply the driving power to the rearmost sprockets 92. Thus, from asuitable sprocket on the shaft 95, on which the sprockets 92 aremounted, I have shown an endless belt 96 running to a sprocket wheel 97on the transverse drive shaft 99 which is connected with the motor.

The motor 100 is suitably mounted on the.

by the conveyor chains through the sha carrying the sprocket wheels 90.This is the shaft 53 of the excavating head of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 10. Or,a sprocket chain 71 may'lead from a sprocket wheel 72 on a shaft(corresponding to the shaft 53) to the sprocket wheel 7 0 on the shaft.carrying the pinion 69 described with reference to Figs. 11, 12 and 13of that gatherin mechanism. Accordingly, in either case, t e conveyorand gather- This screen is suitably ing mechanism operate in unison andcontinuously when the motor is operating.

The horizontal top reach of the conve or carnes the excavated andelevated bal ast to the rear and drops it onto a screen 120, which leadsrearwardly and downwardly. shaken and the clean ballastthence drops overthe rear end of the screen onto the right-of-way between the tracks,while the dirt which was excavated with the ballast drops through thescreen into the hopper 130.

The screen may be of any desired type as I for nstance it may becomposed of fore-endaft bars separated a suitable distance with suitablemeans for shaking it. l have shown such a screen mounted on springs 121at its opposite ends; it is shaken by the rotation of] a shaft 123carried by the screen and having weights 124 eccentrically mountedthereon. This shaft 123 is connected by gears 1.29 and 125 to a shaft126 mounted on the screen and connected by a belt 128 with a wheel onthe shaft 95.

The. hopper 130 inclines inwardly from all directions so that it leadstoi a comparative! small central discharge orifice 132. Beneat thisorifice is a narrow flight conveyor'140 leading upwardly with a suitablehousing 141 to a discharge opening 142. This convevor may be driven inany suitable manner, as for instance by a sprocket chain 14.5 leadingfrom'a sprocket wheel 146 at the upper end of the conveyor to the drivenshaft at the rear end of the main conveyor.

The mechanism described will excavate the ballast and dirt, raise it andcarry it to the rear, screen it and dro the clean ballast into sitesides of the narrow housing 141, while the conveyor within the latterwill take the dirt and refuse and drop it onto a suitable receptacle 143carried by this machine frame beneath the orifice142. r

It is to be understood that while the gafli no ering mechanism andconveyor mechanism is operated, the machine is automatically propelledforwardly at the proper rate so that the excavating mechanism iscontinuously engaging fresh material. To propel the machine from themotor, I have shown sprocket wheels 150 on the inner ends of the shafts22 which carry the front wheels .20. Chains 151 lead from these sprocketwheels. 150 around driving sprockets 153 on an idler shaft 154 whichcarries a spur gear 155 meshing with a spur. ear 156 on the shaft 157which is connecte by a sprocket chain with the main shaft 99. Thiscauses the twotraction wheels 20 to be constantly rotated in thedirection to drive the machine forwardly.

' As either traction wheel 20 may be adjusted up or down from the otherto keep the machine vertical a's heretofore explained, I provide asuitable take-up device for the sprocket chains 151 which drive thesewheels. This take-up device is illustrated in Fig. 14 as a sprocket 158carried in a sliding yoke 159 which ma be moved by a rotatable screw160, mounted in the frame to have an accessible upper end and threadedthrough a nut 161 carried by the yoke.

To insure proper traction of the front wheels and prevent the machine atany time being carried by diagonally opposite front and rear wheels, Imount the latter wheels.

on a transverse member which is pivoted to the frame. The frame thus hasa three point support, and both of the front wheels 20 must always be inengagement with their respective tracks. This equalizing mechanism isillustrated in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that the transverse framemember 13 is pivoted at 171 to the horizontal portion of a U-shapedframe 170, the vertical sides 164 of which carry the nuts 31-cooperating with the screws 30 of the wheel brackets 25.

It will be seen from the description given that I have provided anautomatic, self propelled machine adapted to be mounted in the spacebetween parallel railroad tracks, without interfering with the travel oftrains over these tracks, and operating to excavate ballast, clean itand return it, while collecting the refuse in an accessible receptacle.My machine may excavate the ballast for the full width of the spacebetween the two trackways, or beneath the overhanging ends of tiesif-desired. Both the propulsion and the excavation are effective whetherthetracksare in the same plane or one higher than the vating andconveying mechanism supported by said frame, a pair of traction wheelson opposite sides of the frame engaging said temporary tracks, aU-shaped transverse member straddling the frame and centrally pivoted tothe frame, a pair of supporting wheels on the legs of the U alsoengaging the temporarytracks, and a motor on the frame for driving thetraction wheels and said excavating and conveying mechanisms. .2. Aballast cleaning machine adapted to be mounted between adjacent ends ofties of apair of parallel railroad tracks and comprising a frame,supporting wheels on opposite sides of the frame adapted to suspend it,means for vertically adjust-ing said wheels independently of each other,gathering mechanism adapted to gather material, conveyingmechanismonwhichthegatheringmechanism may deposit material, screeningmechanism adapted 'to be fed b said conveying mechanism and a motor orsimultaneously operating the gatherin mechanism, the conveying mechanisman a pair of the supporting wheels.

3. In a machine. for cleaning ballast, the combination of a frame havingan inclined front, wheels on opposite sides of the frame adapted tosuspend it between the ends of the ties of para-llelrailroad tracks, arotary disc mounted in an inclined plane adjacent the front of themachine, a flat shield substantially in the plane of the disc and nearlysurrounding it but havin an opening at the rear, curved arms carried Eythe disc and extend-. ing outwardly over the shield in close proximitythereto, an endless conveyor extending diagonally upwardly from a regionbeneath the opening through the shield, a motor on the frame and drivingmechanism between it and the disc, the conveyor and some of thesupporting wheels.

4. In a machine for cleaning ballast, the combination of a frame havingan inclined front, Wheels on opposite sides of the frame adapted tosuspend it between the ends of the ties of parallel railroad tracks, arotary disc mounted in an inclined plane ad'acent the front of themachine, a fiat shield su stantially in the plane of the disc and nearlysur-" rounding it but having an opening at the rear, curved arms carriedby the disc, an end- =less conveyor extending diagonally upwardly from aregion beneath the opening through the shield, a motor on the frame anddriving mechanism between it and the disc, the conveyor and some of thesupporting wheels.

5. A railway ballast digging machine comprising a frame adapted to liebetween the ties of adjacent railroad tracks, supporting wheels on theframe arranged to be supported on rails placed on the ends of the tiesand digging means carried by the frame and arranged to dig the fullwidth of the space between the ends of the ties.

6. A railway ballast digging machine comprising a frame adapted to besupported on the ties of adjacent railroad tracks, supporting wheels onthe frame arranged to be supported on rails placed on the ends of theties,

and digging means carried by the frame and arranged to dig the fullwidth of the space between the ends of,the ties.

7. A railway ballast treating machine comprising a frame adapted to liebetween the ties of adjacent railroad tracks, ballast handling meanscarried by the frame, supporting means for the frame extending over theties on each side of the machine, and means for adjusting the verticalheight of a supporton one side of the machine relative to a support onthe other side thereof.

8. A railway ballast treatin machine eomprising a frame adapted to 1ebetween the ties of adjacent railroad tracks, ballast handling meanscarried by the frame, su porting meansfor the frame on each side themachine, and'means for adjusting the vertical height of a support on oneside of the machine relative to a sup ort on the other side.

9. A railway allast cleaning machine arranged to travel in the clearspace between adjoinin railway tracks having means for digging allast,screening the same and returning the cleaned ballast to the roadbed,

. a major portion of the machine depending from supports, the supportsbeing arran ed to lie over the ties of the adjoining trac s, the machinebeing adapted to lie in a trench previously prepared between the ends ofthe ties of the adjoining tracks.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of ashield, an arm lying over the shield, the shield and the arm being sopositioned that the arm may dig into material lying adjacent themachine, the shield being interrupted so as to provide an openingthrough which material may fall, means for movin the arm over the shieldr and the opening, an a conveyor adapted to receive material movedacross-the machine by the arm to the opening.

' In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my. I

signature. i

I JAMES B, MoWILLIAMS.

